Pretenders Lyrics... or... What Is Reet... or... Special Reet Service

September 28, 2006 3:43 PM

Is this really the right lyric to Brass In Pocket by The Pretenders? If so, what on earth does it mean?

All of the lyrics sites that Google produces give me this lyric:

"GOT RHYTHM I CAN'T MISS A BEAT
GOT NEW SKANK IT'S SO REET"

What does "Reet" mean? Also, is there some sort of late-70's slang that would explain the words "Got new skank"?

(PS: Of course I put "define: reet" into Google, but the resulting definition is almost certainly not what Hynde was talking about.)

posted by crapples to media & arts (8 comments total)

reet = right ... see "reet petite" by jackie wilson
posted by pyramid termite at 3:46 PM on September 28, 2006

oh, yeah, skank would be a sexy walk, i believe
posted by pyramid termite at 3:48 PM on September 28, 2006

"Reet" is fairly common pre-80s slang for "good"/"excellent"/"awesome" etc. Jackie Wilson's song "Reet Petite" uses it in the title.

"Skank" can mean "dance", and is still used in that sense today in some subcultures (punk, ska).
posted by solid-one-love at 3:48 PM on September 28, 2006

More discussion here.
posted by tellurian at 3:53 PM on September 28, 2006

Reet
posted by edgeways at 3:59 PM on September 28, 2006

This question prompted me to look up Skatalites on YouTube and this is one of the results. Talk about skank.
posted by tellurian at 4:14 PM on September 28, 2006 [3 favorites]

Wow, thanks for that, tellurian.
posted by languagehat at 5:34 PM on September 28, 2006

See "Skanking to the Beat" by Fishbone, and yes reet is right
posted by bouncebounce at 8:45 AM on September 29, 2006